Chris Messina has been at 8 events

*What if....*
Google+ is not a social network at all - never intended to be a Facebook killer, nor a Twitter wanna-be and definitely not in a rush to keep up with everything else out there...?
*What if....*
Google+ is Google's way of analyzing our personal relationships across all their products (because relationships can't be faked) and use that knowledge to fuel services like Google Now, Nest, Home automation and Driveless cars...?
*"So what the fuck is Google+ for anyway?"*
@102034052532213921839 is an ex-Google employee who helped design the UX of Google+ before he left Google a year ago, and whose name came up again on the Plus stream when he shared his *Thoughts on Google+* asking [quote] "So what the fuck is Google+ for anyway?" and got the community talking.
*SO LET'S -TALK- HANGOUT ABOUT IT.*
Chris is very disappointed with Google+ because he expects better from Google.
But maybe he's expecting the wrong things?
@113117251731252114390 rebutted Chris' post and defended Google+ in a Google+ post that was shared 524 time and sparked conversations across the Plus (https://www.gplusgotogal.com/MikeElganRebuttal1)
Chris responded - https://www.gplusgotogal.com/ChrisMessinaRebutal
And Mike claimed that Chris lost the argument because he didn't answer the main questions:
"What site has
1) a better community;
2) better troll control;
3) better photo tools;
4) better integration with a leading wearables platform;
5) better conversations;
6) better monetization;
7) better search?"
(https://www.gplusgotogal.com/MikeElganRebuttal2)
Basically, comparing Google+ to Facebook again. (_sigh_)
*IS CHRIS USING GOOGLE+ WRONG?*
Chris, who was an integral part in the development of Google+ for 3.5 years was told by @107742059751171695340 that he was using Google+ wrong. He should have been talking and listening to Top Contributors (which Jaana is one) who have their ears to the ground:
_"Which is the direction it's taking? That depends. Also on us, the users. Google listens."_
(You should definitely read the comments on Jaana's post, where she and Chris get into an agreement - https://www.gplusgotogal.com/JaanaNyströmGooglePlus)
*IS IT ABOUT THE SHARED INTEREST GRAPH?*
Perhaps the best insight is that of @105103058358743760661 who read between Chris' lines and brought up the point of Big Data and information networks:
[Google+] "should have been 1000% focused on helping people build a rich information network around the things we care most about - our interest graph - and then to use that interest graph to connect us with *new* people who share those interests with us - our "shared interest graph."
And if it's about the interest graph, then who's better than @115620878851836664537 to remind us that that takes time: _ It requires building a bunch of things, integrating them and then waiting to see how people will use them and what the data will show you. This means that we have to wait to see some results (many of which will impact search) and

Join us for a casual conversation with the creator the hashtag (me!), @113077825398805348239 of New Hive, @117284496294765582783 of @117721687820099454730, @112984233467321807567 of Tagboard , @103151270346152433462 of Everlapse, @108983870826920128614 of Photoswirl, @111889782654481756743 and other special guests to chat about hashtags and art — and where it's all going and what's working now.
This is a fairly impromptu little gathering, but we thought it'd be interesting talk a bit more broadly about the state of digital media on the day Twitter IPOs, and to remind viewers that hashtags and digital content are much bigger and still more powerful than any particular media channel or social network.

Come one, Come all, to the new San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival to try & buy over 100 spirits brands of all tastes, shapes and sizes: Mezcal, Absinthe, Whiskey, Bourbon, Vodka, Tequila, Grappa … too many to list. All tastings are included in price of admission.
Enjoy an edgy Vaudville-style Carnival Spectacular – with a twist! (not your childhood carnival performers) This event is going to be EPIC and not to be missed!
Discount tickets are available on LivingSocial:
https://www.livingsocial.com/deals/685126?ref=conf-jp&rpi=117192636
*Please note this is a limited ticket engagement and is sure to be another sold-out Saturday event. Early ticket purchase is recommended

@113701541741306361978 is in town and with the discussion of ActivityStreams 1.1 and 2.0 on the mailing list, an in-person gathering will help facilitate discussion and potentially bridge conversations.

*Come join members of the Google+ Design team for a casual meet and greet — with drinks and good times.*
The presenters and mentors from the *Get Unstuck: Gamestorming Not Brainstorming* [1] session at Google I/O 2013 will be on hand to continue the conversation and get more acquainted.
This event is strictly 21+, as Local Edition will be serving up punch and other adult beverages so do bring ID!
*Tickets are limited, so make sure to RSVP on Eventbrite early:* http://googleplusdesign.eventbrite.com/
[1] https://developers.google.com/events/io/sessions/419755974

"24 Hours of Reality" with Al Gore and the Climate Reality Project, November 14-15
I will be joining Al Gore and others in New York on Wednesday, November 14, for the Climate Reality Project's 24 Hours of Reality. The event will consist of 24 hours of discussion about climate change, to be broadcast live over the internet at http://climaterealityproject.org . I am scheduled for the first three hours, beginning with the kickoff panel with Mr. Gore at 8pm Eastern time (0100 GMT).
I will be discussing topics from the panels here in the Event when off-air, and will also try for a Hangouts On Air if bandwidth allows. What topics and/or questions would YOU like to see addressed during the discussion?
#climaterealityproject #climatechange #globalwarming #science #sciencecommunication #dirtyweather

Most comments: 39

Most reshares: 94

"In a revelation that defies all reason, the New York attorney general’s office found that four out of five [1] of the most popular herbal supplements sold at those major retailers contained precisely zero of the ingredients listed on their labels. Instead, the products, which are typically used as alternative medicine treatments, were found to contain cheap fillers such as rice, a common house plant called dracaena and (weirdly) asparagus."

It’s been a little more than a quarter since I took on leadership of a newly formed team, which we’ve christened SPS: Streams, Photos, and Sharing.

In that short time, I’ve had some time to reflect on the products we’ve built over the last few years, and also the opportunity to oversee the launch of our new Google Photos product. I’ve concluded that it’s time for a “pivot”... or more precisely time to talk more openly about a pivot that’s been underway for some time (and in fact is reflected in the name of the new team). We're going to continue focusing Google+ on helping users connect around the interest they love, and retire it as the mechanism by which people share and engage within other Google products.

Four years ago when we conceived of the “Google+ Project”, we made it clear that our goals were always two-fold: Google+ asp... more »

Everything in Its Right Place

It’s been a little more than a quarter since I took on leadership of a newly formed team, which we’ve christened SPS: Streams, Photos, and Sharing.

In that short time, I’ve had some time to reflect on the products we’ve built over the last few years, and also the opportunity to oversee the launch of our new Google Photos product. I’ve concluded that it’s time for a “pivot”... or more precisely time to talk more openly about a pivot that’s been underway for some time (and in fact is reflected in the name of the new team). We're going to continue focusing Google+ on helping users connect around the interest they love, and retire it as the mechanism by which people share and engage within other Google products.

Four years ago when we conceived of the “Google+ Project”, we made it clear that our goals were always two-fold: Google+ aspired to be both a “platform layer that unified Google’s sharing models”, and a product / stream / app in its own right.

This was a well-intentioned goal, but as realized it led to some product experiences that users sometimes found confusing. For instance, and perhaps most controversially, integration with YouTube implied that leaving a comment on YouTube (something users had obviously been doing successfully for years) suddenly and unexpectedly required “joining Google+.”

We decided it’s time to fix this, not only in YouTube, but across a user’s entire experience at Google. We want to formally retire the notion that a Google+ membership is required for anything at Google… other than using Google+ itself.

Some of the consequences of this shift in thinking have already been deployed. Others we’re rolling out as fast as possible (e.g. the changes to YouTube we referenced today). And many more will roll out over the rest of the year.

What does this mean for Google+ the product? Relieved of the notion of integrating with every other product at Google, Google+ can now focus on doing what it’s already doing quite well: helping millions of users around the world connect around the interest they love. Aspects of the product that don’t serve this agenda have been, or will be, retired. But you’ll also see a slew of improvements that make this use case shine (like the recent launch of Collections - https://plus.google.com/collections/featured).

It’s been incredibly gratifying to see how this strategy has played out as realized in the recent Google Photos launch, a product which in many ways embodies and telegraphs the changes discussed above. Google Photos not only doesn’t require a Google+ account, but as much of the functionality as possible doesn’t even require an account at all. It was important to me that when we launched Google Photos, we stressed the product implements sharing by any means a user prefers… without compromise or agenda. This is the right thing for users and the feedback and usage has been extremely validating.

I’m excited to share this strategy with the world, excited about what it means for Google+, and most of all for all of Google’s users.﻿___

Been a long time waiting for #Collections to launch! +Dmitry Shapiro started on this before I even left Google! Congrats to the team!

Introducing Google+ Collections, a new way to group your posts by topic

Our happiest Google+ users are those who connect with others around shared interests and passions. So we set out to give people a place to express the things they love. Today, we’re announcing Google+ Collections, a new way to group your posts by topic.

Every collection is a focused set of posts on a particular topic, providing an easy way for you to organize all the things you’re into. Each collection can be shared publicly, privately, or with a custom set of people. Once you create your first collection, your profile will display a new tab where other people can find and follow your collections.

Posts in collections you follow will appear in your Home stream, with a link to easily jump right into the collection so you can get to similar content from that author. Collections give you a great way to find more of the stuff you love from the people you follow.

Collections is available on Android and the web, and iOS is coming later. For Android users, make sure to update your Google+ app to get access to Collections.

For inspiration on interesting topics, check out our Featured Collections page here: g.co/collections

Create your collections today and share what you love.

Edit : Have questions about Collections? Join this community for Help, Tips & Tricks : http://goo.gl/meRk8j﻿___Been a long time waiting for #Collections to launch! +Dmitry Shapiro started on this before I even left Google! Congrats to the team!

Three vocabulary words you'll learn: anxious, avoidant, and secure — as in, three very different attachment styles. Useful in identifying and labeling behaviors that manifest in different relationships.﻿

Three vocabulary words you'll learn: anxious, avoidant, and secure — as in, three very different attachment styles. Useful in identifying and labeling behaviors that manifest in different relationships.﻿___

This one isn't about relationships per se, but about dealing with insecurity in general — by attaching oneself to the present moment, and becoming more mindful. As someone that tends to live in the abstract realm with an active imagination, this book helped me realize that the only reality that exists is the one in the present moment.﻿

This one isn't about relationships per se, but about dealing with insecurity in general — by attaching oneself to the present moment, and becoming more mindful. As someone that tends to live in the abstract realm with an active imagination, this book helped me realize that the only reality that exists is the one in the present moment.﻿___

"In Sexual Intelligence, Klein shows how to stop observing ourselves during sex, ending our obsession with sexual performance and sexual normality." —Basically, if we were less neurotic about sex, it'd be a lot more enjoyable.﻿

"In Sexual Intelligence, Klein shows how to stop observing ourselves during sex, ending our obsession with sexual performance and sexual normality." —Basically, if we were less neurotic about sex, it'd be a lot more enjoyable.﻿___

Develops the concept of "separation" within a long-term romantic and sexual relationship, and demonstrates how "equality" in domestic life may lead to stagnation. Plenty of thought-provoking ideas, illuminated in several useful case studies.﻿

Develops the concept of "separation" within a long-term romantic and sexual relationship, and demonstrates how "equality" in domestic life may lead to stagnation. Plenty of thought-provoking ideas, illuminated in several useful case studies.﻿___

This is such a great addition to Gmail for Web. It's done really well, and helps with email tracking, creating nice formatted emails, and a good looking email signature! +Olof Mathé is also super responsive to user feedback!﻿

This is such a great addition to Gmail for Web. It's done really well, and helps with email tracking, creating nice formatted emails, and a good looking email signature! +Olof Mathé is also super responsive to user feedback!﻿___

These shots were taken during the few minutes between the Lunar Eclipse and sunrise. Talk about changing lighting conditions, wow. The light of the full moon coming out of total eclipse at the same time as the sun is rising, makes for a very difficult 14 shot Milky Way Panoramic. I am very pleased that I was fast enough to make all the frames blend without editing each one. You can see the shots were taken from right to left as the background of the sky gets lighter. This made for a very difficult time in getting the white balance to look natural-ish.

It has been a wild last few weeks around the Haus Der Krieger​. Looking ahead at the calendar, I see that I was planning on being at the NAB Show next week. The reason I was going to be there fell through, but I think I will still go. Oddly enough, I have never been to the NAB event in Vegas. I worked radio for years and have done broadcasting for decades. Maybe I will even bring my camera ;) Who else is heading to NAB Show and what should I plan on doing while there?﻿___Epic.

"In a revelation that defies all reason, the New York attorney general’s office found that four out of five [1] of the most popular herbal supplements sold at those major retailers contained precisely zero of the ingredients listed on their labels. Instead, the products, which are typically used as alternative medicine treatments, were found to contain cheap fillers such as rice, a common house plant called dracaena and (weirdly) asparagus."

"In a revelation that defies all reason, the New York attorney general’s office found that four out of five [1] of the most popular herbal supplements sold at those major retailers contained precisely zero of the ingredients listed on their labels. Instead, the products, which are typically used as alternative medicine treatments, were found to contain cheap fillers such as rice, a common house plant called dracaena and (weirdly) asparagus."